Method of and apparatus for treating and handling sulfur



FOR TREATING AND HANDLING SULFUR,

METHUD OF AND APPARATUS APPLICATION. ILED iULYfi, 1920.

Patented Nova 145319211,

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

' 81mm Fox 3% (iii/ mung METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR TREATING AND HANDLING SULFUR.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 6, I920.

Non 1U", 11.92319 3 QHE TS-SHEET 2.

Witnesses F. 1. HM. METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR TREATING 1WD i'iANUHNG SULFUR. APPLICATION HLED IUD/6, 1920.

FRANK J'. HILL, F SULPHUR, LOUISIANA.

METHOD. OF AND APPARATTTS FOR TREATING AND HANDLING SULFUR.

' incense.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov.15,1l921.

Application filed July .6, 1920. Serial No. 394,377.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK J. HILL, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Sulphur, in the parish of Calcasieu and State of Louisiana, have made certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of and Apparatus for Treating and Handling Sulfur,.of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a method of and apparatus for treating and handling sulfur.

llerctoforc in the commercial production of sulfur the sulfur has been melted underground and forced up by compressed air to the pumping station and then through suitable conduits to large bins where it is allowed to stand and congeal. The latter features of this process have many inherent disadvantages in that they necessitate the mining of the sulfur many months in advance in order that it may cool before it can beblasted and shipped. This requires the operation of a large number of batteries and wells in order to have available sulfur at all times, and this as well as the construction and maintenance of the bins make this process burdensome and expensive.

One of the principal objects of the present invention is to provide forthe treatment and handling of the sulfur in the molten condition in which it is delivered from the well to render it susceptible of immediate transportation and available for immediate use, thus avoiding the expense and inconvenience, of the long delay, of the construction and maintenance of the bins, or of the operation of an excessive number of wells, or in a word, to avoid or overcome all the diflirulties and disadvantages of these featurcs of the present methods.

)ther objects and advantages reside in the certain novel features of the construction, arrangement an( combination of parts, which will be hereinafter more fully described, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, and in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the apparatus embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section. Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of the sulfur nozzle, water drum and steam drum assembled.

Fig. 5 is a transverse vertical sectional View on line 55 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is an end elevational view of the steam drum.

Fig. 7 is a transverse vertical sectional view on line 7-7 of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings it will be seen from the well and extends through and axially of the casing to adjacent the open end 14 thereof. The inner end of the conduit within the casing carries a steam nozzle 16, which is of tubular construction having its outer end closed by a cap plate 17 and having its inner end open and coupled to the conduit 15. The periphery of the tubular nozzle is provided with a plurality or series of spirally extending slots 18 which constitute discharge openings for the molten sulfur and serve to break up into relatively small particles, the molten sulfur projected therethrough.

A water drum 19 is arranged on the conduit and concentric thereto. The water drum is disposed adjacent the nozzle 16 of the sulfur conduit and as seen in Fig. 5, the head 19 of the water drum adjacent the nozzle is provided with a series of alternate circumferentially and radially extending slots 20 which constitute discharge orifices for spraying the water from the water drum on to the particles of the molten sulfur discharged from the nozzle 16., "The heads 19 of the water drum are each provided with collars 19 having threaded engagement as at 19, with the periphery of the sulfur conduit. The collar of the head adjacent the nozzle 16, preferably, has threaded engage-- ment also with the nozzle 16 as at 1.) and thus serves to couple the nozzle to the sulfur conduit. A water supply pipe 21 extends through the steam jacketed casing 11 and delivers or supplies water under pressure to casing 11.

the water drum 19. The juncture of the pipe 21 and the shells 12 of the casing is suitably reinforced and packed as at 21*.

A steam drum 22 is arranged adjacent the rear of the water drum and is mounted upon a sulfur conduit 15, the heads 22 of the water drum having for this purpose annular collars 22 having threaded engage ment as at 22 with the periphery of the conduit 15. The head of the steam drum adjacent to the water drum is provided with an inner and outer circular series of radially extending jet openings 23 (see Fig. 6) from which steam jets are delivered.

Means is provided for supplying steam for the heating and blowing purposes and consists of a main steam pipe 24 and an auxiliary steampipe 25 delivering to the main steam pipe.

The auxiliary steam pipe 25 extends through the bushing 26 threaded in the T coupling 27 embodied in the sulfur conduit 15 and the auxiliary steam pipe 25 is itself connected to the mainsteam pipe 2st by means of a T coupling 28. The main steam pipe 24 extends axially entirely through the sulfur conduit and then leads by elbows 29 and short pipes 30 to the steam jacket of the i A short pipe 31 delivers the steam from the steam jacket to the steam drum as clearly shown in Fig. A valve 32 is incorporated in the water pipe 21 and a valve 33 is incorporated in the steam pipe 25 to control the flow throughsaid pipes.

In operation the molten sulfur flows through the sulfur conduit 15, and is discharged through the nozzle 16 thereof. The nozzle 16 breaks the sulfur up into fine parthe first instance the breaking up of the of the molten sulfur with water to granulate the sulfur. The sulfur is then discharged from the region in which the granulating action occurs by a jet or jets of steam.

I claim 1. In an apparatus of the character described, an elongated steam jacketed casing having one end closed and the other end open, a conduit for molten sulfur extending axially of said casing to adjacent the open end thereof, a steam pipe leading axially through said conduit to the steam jacket of. said casing, a nozzle for the molten sulfur carried by the outer end of said conduit having a series of spiral discharge orifices, a water drum arranged on said conduit and having a series of orifices whereby the discharge of said nozzle is sprayed with Water to granulate the sulfur, a steam drum having a plurality of jet openings adapted to direct jets against the granulated sulfur to discharge the same through the open end of said casing, and a steam pipe from the jacket to the steam drum to supply the steam thereto.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, an elongated steam jacketed casing having one end closed and the other end open, a conduit for molten sulfur extending axially of said casing to adjacent the open end thereof, a steam pipe leading axially through said conduit to the steam jacket of said casing, a nozzle for the molten sulfur carried by the outer end of said conduit having a series of spiral discharge orifices, a

id d hip, i thi t t i 1i tely water drum arranged on said conduit and after being discharged from the nozzle, or rather, as it is discharged from the nozzle, it is subjected to a spray of water from the orifices of the water drum The water acting upon the molten sulfur granulates the same and the steam jets of the steam drum pf'oject or discharge the granulated sulfur through the open end of the casing. The sulfur does not adhere to the steam casing in view of the steam jacket which maintains the'inner surface of the same heated at all time to preclude any adhering or clogging of the sulfur.

The granulated sulfur delivered from the discharge or open end 1% of the casing is available for immediate use or for immediate transportation. Any suitable conveying or handling means such as for instance shown diagrammatically at C, is provided to receive and transfer the granulated sulfur to a freight ear F or storage structure if desired.

The apparatus embodying my invention has been hereinabove described, but it will be understood that my invention also involves a method in that it contemplates in having a series of orifices whereby the discharge of said nozzle is sprayed with water to granulate the sulfur, and a steam drum having a plurality of jet openings adapted to direct jets against the granulated sulfur to discharge the same through the open end of said casing.

3. In an apparatus of the character described, an elongated steam jacketed casing having one end closed and the other end open, a conduit for molten sulfur extending axially of said casing to adjacent the open end thereof, a steam pipeleading axially through said conduit to the steam jacket of said casing, a nozzle for the molten sulfur carried by the outer end of said conduit having a series of spiral discharge orifices, a water drum arranged on said conduit and having a series oforifices whereby the discharge of said nozzle is sprayed with water to granulate the sulfur.

4:. In an apparatus of the character described, a steam jacketed casing, a conduit for molten sulfur extending Within said cas ing, a nozzle for said conduit provided with spiral discharge openings, a water drum car- 7 within said casing,

rality nea /pee ried by said conduit and having orifices adapted to spray the molten sulfur to granulate the same, and a steam drum having a plurality of jet openings for discharging the granulated sulfur from said casing.

5. In an apparatus of the character described, a casing, a steam jacket for said casing, a conduit for molten sulfur arranged a nozzle carried by the end of said conduit within said casing, a steam pipe leading through said conduit and said nozzle to said steam jacket, a Water drum having a plurality of discharge orifices adjacent said nozzle to spray the molten sulfur to granulate the same, a steam drum having a plurality of jet openings, and a steam pipe leading from said steam jacket to said steam drum.

6. In an apparatus of the character described, a casing, a conduit for molten sulfur arranged within said casing, a spray nozzle carried by the end of said conduit Within said casing, a Water drum having a plurality of discharge orifices adjacent said nozzle to spray the molten sulfur to granulate the same, a steam drum having a pluof jet openings, and means for supplying steam tosaid steam drum.

' 7.9111 an apparatus of the character described, acasing, a conduit for molten sulfur arranged within said casing, a spray nozzle carried by the end of said conduit Within said casing, a water drum having a plurality of discharge orifices adjacent said nozzle to spray the molten sulfur to granulate the same, and a steam drum having a plurality of jet openings.

8. In an apparatus of the character described, a casing, a conduit for molten sulfur arranged within said casing, a spray nozzle carried by the end of said conduit within said casing, and a Water drum having a plurality of discharge orifices adjacent said nozzle to spray the molten sulfur to granulate the same.

9. In an apparatus of the character described, a steam jacketed casing, a conduit for molten sulfur arranged Within said casing, a spray nozzle'carried by the end of said conduit within said casing, a water drum having a plurality of discharge orifices adjacent said nozzle to spray the molten sulfur to granulate the same, a steam drum having a plurality of jet openings, and means for supplying steam to said steam drum and through said steam jet.

10. In an apparatus of the character described, a steam jacketed casing, a conduit for molten sulfur arranged within said casing,aspray nozzle carried by the end of said conduit within said casing, and a Water drum having a plurality of discharge orifices adjacent said nozzle to spray the molten sulfur to granulate the same.

11. In an apparatus of the cha-racmr described, a steam jacketed casing, a spray nozzle for molten sulfur arranged within said casing, means for spraying the discharge of said nozzle with water to granulate the sulfur, and a steam jet for discharging a granulated sulfur from said casing.

12. lln an apparatus of the character described, a spray nozzle for the molten sulfur, means for spraying the discharge of said nozzle with Water to granulate the sulfur, and a steam jet for discharging the granu lated sulfur.

13. In an apparatus of the character described, a. spray nozzle for the molten sulfur, and means for spraying thev discharge of said nozzle with water to granulate the sulfur.

14:. In an apparatus of the character described, a spray nozzle for the molten sulfur, means for spraying the discharge of said nozzle with water to granulate the sulfur, and a steam jet for discharging the granulated sulfur, said nozzle, said spraying means and said steam jet being arranged in tandem.

15. In an apparatus of the character de scribed, a spray nozzle for the molten sulfur, and means for spraying the discharge of said nozzle with Water to gra-nulate the sulfur, said nozzle and said spraying means being arranged in tandem.

16. The method of treating sulfur as hereinabove characterized consisting v of breaking up the molten sulfur into relatively small particles and spraying the particles with Water.

FRANK J. HILL.- 

